The Conversation

When parents turn children into weapons, everybody loses

Written by Jennifer Harman, Associate Professor of Applied Social and Health Psychology, Colorado State University

One form of domestic abuse involves a parent breaking their child's connection with the other parent.Mikhail Seleznev/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Domestic abuse can involve one parent using a child as a weapon against the other parent, which harms the child in immense ways. My research has identified how these dynamics play out and examines the...

How do keys open locks?

Written by Scott Craver, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Binghamton University, State University of New York

The depths of the valleys on a key act like a code that must match the lock.Robin Smith/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

How are keys made, and how do they open locks? – Noli, age 12,...

Ovarian cancer is not a silent killer – recognizing its symptoms could help reduce misdiagnosis and late detection

Written by Barbara Goff, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington

Ovarian cancer is more likely to be cured with early diagnosis.Pornpak Khunatorn/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Ovarian cancer is the most deadly of gynecologic tumors. Fewer than 40% of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer are cured, and approximately 12,810 people in the U.S. die from the disease every year.

For the past 25 years, scientists have...

The Cleveland Indians changed their team name – what's holding back the Atlanta Braves?

Written by Peter Dreier, E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics, Occidental College

Atlanta Braves fans perform the 'tomahawk chop' during a playoff game in 2004. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

In October 1995, as the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves prepared to face off in the World Series, a group of Native Americans rallied outside Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to protest what they called both teams’ racist names and...

Staring at an image of yourself on Zoom has serious consequences for mental health – especially for women

Written by Roxanne Felig, PhD Candidate in Social Psychology, University of South Florida

Video calls often show people an image of themselves.SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

In the past few years, people across the world have spent more time on video chat programs like Zoom and FaceTime than ever before. These applications mimic in-person encounters by allowing users to see the people they are communicating with. But unlike...

In age of racial reckoning, Ralph Lauren partners with Morehouse and Spelman grads on vintage Black fashion styles

Written by Timeka N. Tounsel, Assistant Professor of African American Studies and Media Studies, Penn State

Screen shot of Ralph Lauren's homepage for its new Morehouse and Spelman fashions. Ralph Lauren

Prompted by George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020, major retail companies touted their commitment to racial justice. Some publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement. The Vermont-based ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s went...

Meet the power plant of the future: Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth

Written by Joachim Seel, Senior Scientific Engineering Associate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

By pairing solar power and battery storage, hybrids can keep providing electricity after dark.Petmal via Getty Images

America’s electric power system is undergoing radical change as it transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While the first decade of the 2000s saw huge growth in natural gas generation, and the 2010s were the decade...

The US never considered Ukraine a vital interest, until Putin's ambitions changed that

Written by Alexander Motyl, Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University - Newark

Buildings in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv that were destroyed by Russian bombardments.Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

President Joe Biden and NATO allies in Europe are trying to help Ukraine fight off Russian aggression – but not so much that Russia will retaliate militarily against them.

These leaders’ deliberations and...

As Ukraine war deepens great-power divisions, a revitalized non-aligned movement could emerge

Written by John Ciorciari, Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of Michigan

Which side are you on? Well, actually ...Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought strong Western condemnation and sanctions, but many nations around the world have chosen not to join this united front.

Dozens of governments outside Europe and North America have been reluctant to censure Russia, and...

Opposition to abortion doesn't stop some Americans from supporting friends and family who seek one

Written by Tricia C. Bruce, Sociologist, University of Notre Dame

Maxine, a pseudonym for a 58-year-old woman, is among a sizable proportion of Americans who are morally opposed to abortion.

Republican, Christian and a grandmother, Maxine “can’t believe that anybody could honestly say that life doesn’t begin at conception. … That’s the black and whiteness of it, for me: Either...